MISSISSIPPI QUEEN chronology

Judy,

I pulled out the S&D Reflector (June 1977 Vol 14 No 2) and there is a lenghty article by Capt. Fred Way about the Third and final shakedown cruise on Feb 26th through the 27th of 1977. In the article it is mentioned Capt. Carl Shelton was the Master of the vessel on this particular trip. Chief Kenny Howe was aboard, but the article does not list him as the Chief of the trip. It does mention that Capt. Ernie Wagner was aboard the DELTA QUEEN above New Orleans at the time.

Then I pulled out the Ways Packet Directory and some of what I read there may refresh your memory about her.

2978 - MISSISSIPPI QUEEN Stw Tourist boat, sh b Jeffersonville, Ind., by Jeffboat Inc., 1973-1975, 379x68, over all; 345x67, hull. Engines 16's 32's-10ft., condensing. Two water tube boilers allowed 390pis. Double stepped paddlewheels on a common shaft. Designed to sleep 400 tourists. Operated by Delta Queen Steamboat Co., Cincinnati, Oh. Steedman Hinckley, chairman of Overseas National Airways, set construction in motion and tabbed James Demetrion to work out mechanical details and his brother Albert Hinckley to plan the architecture and decor. They went to London, enlisted Three Quays Marine Services Ltd., subsidiary of P&O Lines who drew hull lines and firmed engine and paddlewheel design, A 20ft model of the hull was tank-tested in Holland. Much of the interior decor was contracted in England. The engines were contracted to Pine Tree Engineering Co., USA. Jeffboat, Inc., accepted the contract to build the boat complete. Work was commenced at Jeffersonville, Ind. in the summer of 1973, and the first hull section was completed that November. Launching date was Nov. 30, 1975 at Louisville, Ky. Prior to this time she was unnamed, going by "Hull 2999". Her first shakedown cruise with invited guests came July 20-21, 1976. Many bugs had to be worked out, and there was a second "shakedown" and finally a third, staged at New Orleans, Feb 26-28, 1977. Prior to the first shakedown, Steedman Hinckley had sold the boat, plus the DELTA QUEEN, to Coca Cola Bottling Co. Her Master on the first shakedown was Capt. Ernest E. Wagner with Pilots Harry Louden and Art Zimmer. Mates were Joseph "Ted" Davisson and Willard Lockhart. By the time of her third shakedown, Capt. Carl A. Shelton was Master, and upon his resignation she was entrusted to Capt. Gabriel Chengery who continues to command as this is typed Feb 17, 1979. Much credit is due to Kenneth Howe, Louisville, for assembling the machinery and making it operative. The S&D Reflector since the initial announcement (June 1973, page 4) and an artist's conception (December 1973, page 48) has followed in detail the story above both in photographs and text. The MISS-Q story rated the front cover in the issues of September 1974, March 1975, and September 1976. The ceremony incident with completion of the dirst hull section appears in the March 1974 issue, pages 28-29; of the Launching, March 1975 issue, pages 22-27; of the Christening, June 1975 issue, pages 39-43, of the initial shakedown, September 1976 issue, pages 7-11, of the final shakedown, June 1977 pages 27-29.

Here is a Passenger Guest List from March of 1977 showing Capt. Shelton as the Master of the cruise. As well, a scan of a small part of a brochure from spring of 1976 before the first trial run commenced.

Hope these little tidbits bring back fond memories for you, as they do for me!

Travis

MQ Memories

In the early summer of 1976 and at Capt. Ernie Wagner's kind invitation, I rode on one of the MQ's first shakedown cruises in the Louisville harbor. Capt. Harry Louden was the pilot and I can still see him sitting at the steering levers saying (with some cussing of course!) "Well, Keithy, what do you think of this big chicken house on a raft?" John Hartford was also aboard that day and I have a slide of him fiddling next to the "swimming pool", as it was touted in those early days! Precious memories, how they linger!

Yes, although he is very modest about it, Chief Kenny Howe's expertise put the engine room of the MQ together. He wishes that those engines had been saved, but it was not to be.

It seems almost like a dream now to think back on how we watched the construction of the MQ from the museum -- from her beginnings as large sheets of steel to a living, breathing steamboat. It is truly sad that her "life" lasted only 35 years.

Can't be much help here. However, I do know who was supposed to be her Cruise Director in 2007.

Industriousness vs. laziness

Thanks Travis - you know how heavy that Packet Directory is, and how many steps I'd have to climb to get to it, from my semi-permanent perch here in my recliner? Honestly I didn't remember Capt. Shelton being there that early, I knew he was first year though. And Keith - that Reflector issue is in one of Dorothea's bound volumes, also up that flight of stairs. Thanks younguns, for doing the work for a Medicarer!

A few more

Here are a few more MQ tidbits from my collection.

1). "Capt." Betty Blake (President of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company) and Bill Muster on the first Trial Run cruise in June of 1976 at Louisville (with out passengers). In the background is the old rock quarry at Utica, IN. just below 12-Mile Island. Today this is a very popular and highly exclusive neighborhood with unbelievable pricing!

2). Capt. Carl Shelton, the Second Master of the Str. MISSISSIPPI QUEEN. Note the Str. PRESIDENT in the background.

3). The first model of the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN, with the original design of the enclosed Calliope Bar, the original wheel, and the first concept of the stern superstructure. This was before the Mermaids came to the calliope. Notice how much her stern superstructure changed before she was completed. Not to mention the replacement of the single wheel wheel (that would be replaced twice in her career with double-stepped wheels).

Keith,

You are right, a debt of gratitude goes to Chief Kenny Howe for exorcizing the demons out of the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN's Engine Room. He put together a top notch set up where many people learned the craft to bring this knowledge forward to today. With out his work, one has to wonder if the Engineering expertise would have been there to put together the AMERICAN QUEEN as flawlessly as she came out in the early 1990's.

A much overdue New Orleans Harbor whistle salute to Chief Kenny Howe!

DQ, MQ, AQ shipyard photos

A random thought just occurred to me after seeing some of Travis' memorabilia: we have pictures of the DQ and DK being built in California. We have pictures of the MQ at Jeffboat. But do we have any of the AMERICAN QUEEN in the shipyard in Louisiana as she was being built? Obviously somebody has pictures, but have any of them ever made it to any of our collections? I don't have any, nor do I remember ever seeing any.

MQ Memorabilia at the Museum

Amidst all the artifacts, storage boxes, filing cabinets, and other items to be moved in upcoming weeks to the new HSM Collections Management Facility, are two very FULL boxes of MISSISSIPPI QUEEN memorabilia. I have taken a cursory cruise through these containers of file folders and they are bulging with photographs, negatives, correspondence, promotional materials, etc. All of this was destined for the dumpster in New Orleans, but a wise and kind DQSB Company office secretary called the museum as they were closing the Robin Street Wharf to ask if we would care to have it for the archives. Bless her!

We are grateful that this material is saved, but saddened to learn that other boxes of similar items DID end up in dumpsters!

Did the museum receive the bell off the MQ?

I know it was slotted to go to the museum but never heard if it eventually made it?

I may be traveling to the area where the MQ was dismantled and could possible bring it back to Jeffersonville, IN?

I am still working on buying the mermaids from the MQ and it looks like it might actually happen. Does anyone know the where-a-bouts of the wheel?

I know it has been posted that it disappeared in NO, but does anyone know who now has it?

Assuming it can't be found I would need help trying to properly size a replacement.

I would also like to hear opinions on what color scheme would be most appropriate on the mermaids.

400 or 500 Passengers

Usually I would be the last person to question Capt. Fred Way’s facts or statistics but I became curious when I read in the quote from the directory that the MQ was designed for 400 passengers. It was always my understanding that it was originally built for 500 passengers. The 500 passenger statistic was quoted many times by everyone in those first days/year. It became evident from just about the first cruise that several cabins on the Main deck near the Engine Room would never work as passenger rooms because of the noise. Those rooms were quickly blocked off as unusable and eventually became crew rooms. My first job on the MQ was the Main Deck Porter. The hallway was eventually partitioned off from passengers. The suites on Cabin Deck beside the paddlewheel were not booked for a while because of complaints about all the spray from the paddlewheel. I am not sure how they corrected that problem. Other modifications to cabins were made over the years until the number was reduced to 400 guests.

I was there and i remember...............................

Greetings From New Orleans ,

First of all , I was there and I remember all the good times , all the bad times , all the on board disasters , all the petty office politics , all the petty boat politics , all the disappointments , all the boat romances , all the Deck and Pilot House personnel , all the unique and colorful personalities that came and went , all the incidents and situations that arose during those first few years and how we all coped with these varied issues ! I was the very first , First mate on the Str. Mississippi Queen and I remember it all !

I believe it was the renown English author , Charles Dickens that said , " It was the best of times and the worst of times " and that was pretty much as I remember it on the late great Str. Mississippi Queen !

I remember when myself , Dick Weber and Dave Williamson first stepped foot on the boat and help prepare her for her Sea Trials and Maiden Voyage !

I remember watching bunker c , fuel oil spill out into the Ohio River because some one forgot to blank off the starb'd side fuel intake manifold !

I remember watching diesel oil cascaded down four entire decks , from a Sun Deck fuel tank on the MQ , and once again into the Ohio River as hundreds of spectators came down to the boat for a first hand look at this now not so glamorous river steamer !

I remember watching raw sewage being flushed by the galley's rotating doors into the main dining room as passengers were attempting to eat their dinner !

I remember having to return early on the MQ's , first Sea Trial because the so called experts at Jeff Boat forgot to install a forced air ventilation system for the Engine Room and the engineers were literally suffocating form the heat !

I remember all these calamities ending the career of a great river man , Capt. E. Wagner !

I remember another great river man , stepping into this mess and attempted to correct and re organize all the fatal flaws in the boat and its internal organization system and policies ! I also remember Capt. Shelton giving a young deck mate , myself the opportunity to prove himself and a capable and competent Pilot !

I remember the " Lost Season " , when the powers that be scrubbed her season and spent the remainder of the year just running from New Orleans to Vicksburg inorder to work out all the remaining problems and issues that the MQ was still dealing with !

I remember when I was piloting in the Pilot House and like clock work the boilers would fail and Capt. Shelton would come to the Pilot House to hold her steady and I would run down to the bow of the boat to drop the anchor !

I remember all the different managerial regimes that came and went and ALL had the answers to all our problems both on the boat and in the office !

I remember all different Captains and Pilots that came and went like Carl Shelton , Joe Gale , Arthur Mac Arthur , Rip Ware , Ed Winford , Art Zimmer , Harry Louden , Jim Davis and many more that brought their own sense of home grown humor , wisdom and people skills in their attempts to not only make this boat a successful operation but to also pass on to any and all up and coming men and women that so choose to follow in their foot steps !

Unfortunately , I will also remember the remains of the Str. Mississippi Queen laying in ruins because of the atrocious office management and more importantly because evidently very few of US felt she was worth the effort to save her !

I remember all that and will take it all to the grave with me ! Those indeed were the best of times and yes the worst of times !

Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141

Judy Patsch;28330 wrote: On this dreary rainy day I was just jotting down a rough timeline of the MQ's existence, and I wanted to check to see if my memory is clear or cloudy:

Wasn't one of our steamboaters the Jeffboat foreman/overseer/shipyard engineer or whatever the title was, for her construction: Chief Kenny Howe?
Did he ever serve as Chief Engineer on board the MQ?

Captain Ernie Wagner was named Commodore and was the first Captain (much to his chagrin) of the MQ. He served for a brief time, how long?

Wasn't it Carl Shelton who then became the MQ's Master, really her first longterm Captain?

Jim Blum, I remember you being Captain on the MQ when I first saw her in Natchez Mississippi. I think that was 1978, right?

Gabe went over from the DQ to the MQ early on - was that about 1977 or 78?

So who else was Captain/Master of the MQ in her first years?

Capt. Ernie Wagner

Capt. Ernie Wagner returned to the DQ and his last trip was on the UMR in September 1978. His river career, and life, was ended by colon cancer a little more than a year later.

400 or 500 passengers

Ted G., would those main deck rooms that were converted to crew rooms due to the noise have been able to account for this difference? It doesn't seem there were that many rooms back there. I had one with a porthole when I was the Jr. Activities Director for the 1983 Christmas trip which featured the icicles on the fantail...

400 or 500 Passengers

Judy-No I don't think the aft Main Deck would have accounted for the 100 beds that would need to be accounted for. I am not sure where other modifications where made to account for the rest. I don't think I ever went back to the Main Deck after I transfered to the DQ at the end of 1977. The first two seasons there were some cabins over the Engine Room on the aft Cabin Deck that were also too loud and were used for crew but I don't know if that became a permanent thing or if they were able to insulate the noise and vibrations so that they could be used again.
There is certainly a book opportunity that someone needs to write now that the Mississippi Queen has floated into history. As Ted D. said, "It was the best of time, it was the worst of times."

Aft Cabin Deck rooms

I think those rooms were kept as crew rooms, at least they were in 1985. Fred Dodd had one of them and said the water was near his room when he was allowed on board to retrieve his belongings after the 12/12/85 incident at Donaldsonville.